What is that?
by Hazel Eyes401
Summary: A little story to show just how important communication really is. This is a HitsuKarin oneshot.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or anything portrayed in this story.**

"I need your help." Toshiro Hitsugaya stood in the Kurosaki front door holding a wrapped up blanket in his arms. His teal eyes giving no emotion or indication of what he was doing.

"O-kay." Karin Kurosaki answered unsure as to why the young soul reaper captain was standing in front of her, and why he wasn't being very clear as to his reasons for being at her front door.

"What do you need?" Karin asked as Toshiro's eyes slowly moved from the blanket to the floor.

"There's this baby." Toshiro answered then looked back to Karin as her eyes grew wide.

"I can't believe this." Karin stated in shock.

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Toshiro exploded at her expression of shock.

"THEN WHAT IS IT?" Karin yelled back.

"It's for my class. Apparently, I have to take care of a baby for one of my classes at Ichigo's school." Toshiro indicated the blanket in his arms toward Karin.

Her curiosity getting the best of her she looked in the blanket. Toshiro was holding a plastic baby wrapped in a blue blanket with a diaper bag on his shoulder with some diapers and a baby bottle sticking out.

"So how long do you have to take care of it?" Karin asked as she moved aside to allow Toshiro to enter the house.

"I have to take care of it for one week. And I have no idea what to do." Toshiro admitted with a slight blush not meeting Karin's eyes.

"Are you embarrassed?" Karin asked seeing his blush.

"NO!" Toshiro yelled and suddenly became very interested in the living room couch.

"It's just that…"

"I was only kidding." Karin laughed and Toshiro glared at her.

"So what class is it for?"

"A class called Home Economics."

"Why don't you get Rangiku to help you? I'm sure she would enjoy it." Karin commented earning a scoff from Toshiro.

"I can't get my lieutenant to do any of her own paper work besides I doubt she would know how to take care of a baby." Toshiro responded as he walked into the kitchen to lay the diaper bag on the kitchen table.

"And what makes you think I would know?" Karin asked as she walked up beside him.

"Well, you're a human and a female." Toshiro bashfully answered now becoming very interested in the table.

"And you just assume that I would know how to care for a baby just because of that." Karin responded with irritation in her voice.

Toshiro remained silent becoming more interested in the table.

"If that's your only reason why don't you go ask Orihime to help you?"

"I don't exactly trust Orihime." Toshiro answered not taking his eyes off the table.

"And you trust me?" Toshiro remained silent.

"Toshiro, are you saying you trust me?" Karin turned his shoulders forcing him to face her and look her in her eyes.

"Yes, I do. You seem to be more aware of human things than anyone that I know." Toshiro sighed.

"Okay!" Karin happily answered causing Toshiro to stare at her with a snap of his head.

"That's it?" Toshiro asked.

"Yep, now let's go. So, who else is taking this class?" Karin showed Toshiro to her room upstairs.

"Well, I have several classmates but I'm the only one of the group who needs to take this class." Toshiro responded as he followed Karin.

"Why are you the only one?" Karin opened the door to her room and they entered.

"Apparently my physics teacher believes that Home Economics would benefit me more than the subject of physics." Toshiro sat on the floor as Karin shut the door.

"And she didn't think anyone else would need to take that class?"

"No, she didn't."

"You know she may have thought you weren't able to pass the physics course." Karin snickered earning an icy glare from the Captain.

"And why would she think that?" Toshiro asked as Karin stood next to him with a scary grin on her face.

"Well because you look like a little kid!" Karin patted his forehead and Toshiro's eye started to twitch in irritation. He would have responded but they were interrupted by a surprising sound.

"WAAAAHHHH! WAAAAHHHH! WAAAAHHHH!" The blue blanket wailed in an ear piercing and nerve grating cry.

"WHY'S IT CRYING?" Toshiro yelled over the baby's cry as he held the baby away from him.

"Probably because you're scaring him," Karin took the baby and started to rock the baby in her arms easing the cries of the fake baby.

"How did you do that?" Toshiro stared at Karin in amazement as the sobs subsided.

"It's only natural to comfort a crying baby." Karin responded as if it was the most common thing in the human world, which by the way it is.

"It is?"

"You are such a boy."

"What does that mean-" Toshiro was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Karin, I found this diaper bag on the kitchen table. Do you know whose it is?" Yuzu slowly opened the door and stared at Toshiro and Karin sitting on the floor. Yuzu blinked her eyes at Karin holding a baby.

"Oh, it's Toshiro's." Said boy glared at Karin in embarrassment.

"It is?" Yuzu politely replied.

"It's for a class assignment. The baby's fake." Toshiro glared at Karin. Karin tried and failed to hide her snickers behind the baby blanket.

"Oh, well then I guess this is yours." Yuzu handed the diaper bag to Toshiro and left the room.

"Why did you say that?" Toshiro demanded to know.

"Why did I say what?" Karin asked in response with the fake innocent look in her eyes.

"That it was my baby without noting the fact the baby was a fake and is for my class." Toshiro glared at her as Karin rolled her eyes taking the diaper bag from him.

"I wanted to see her reaction. Besides, no one in their right mind would actually believe this baby was really yours." Karin responded as she looked into the diaper bag taking out several items.

"You do realize I am so much older than you, right?" Toshiro subtly hinted at his age as a soul reaper.

"Yeah, but down here you are in the body of an elementary kid." Toshiro's left eye was twitching madly and he growled under his breath at Karin's blunt response.

"Oh come on, get over it. Do you want all of the humans to know you're a soul reaper?" At the small shake of his head, Karin continued, "Since that's the case you'll just have to ignore it because people will say the first thing that comes to their mind." Karin pulled out a packet of papers.

"That still doesn't make it any better." Toshiro complained as Karin was reading a paper. "What are you reading?"

"This is your assignment sheet. Did you even read it yet?" Karin asked as Toshiro stood up to look at the paper in her left hand since she still had the "baby" in her right arm.

"Not yet, I just came straight here." Toshiro admitted and Karin nodded her head.

"Well you have to feed it, change the diaper, burp it and make sure it doesn't cry too much. Every time it cries a point will be taken off your final grade."

"How will the teacher know if it cries?"

"Apparently there's a recording device. It says if you make anything less than a D then you will have to repeat the exercise until you make a passing grade." Karin looked up at him scowling at the paper.

"So how many points have been taken off so far?"

"It looks to be about 3. Don't worry I'm sure that you'll do fine and pass this very easily." Karin encouraged the young captain when the baby started crying again.

"WAAAAHHHHHH!!! WAAAAHHHHHH!!" Toshiro jumped slightly still not accustomed to the loud wails.

"Karin, please help me." Toshiro asked as Karin started rocking the baby.

"Let's try to feed it." Karin took the baby bottle from the bag and started to "feed" the "baby" as Toshiro watched and helped whenever he could.

………………

Ichigo walked into his house with every muscle in his body aching from his training with the other vizards.

"Man that Hiyori sure can kick. Everything hurts even muscles I didn't know I had." Ichigo mumbled a greeting to Yuzu who was cooking in the kitchen as he walked up the stairs. On his way down the hallway he heard some interesting sounds from Karin's room.

"I can't believe that jerk! Honestly, he left me alone with his baby!" Ichigo froze and replayed his little sister's words in his head over and over. He was in a trance until Karin spoke a name.

"Toshiro is getting an earful when he gets back here!" Ichigo was snapped out of his trance as he opened the door and peeked in on Karin sitting in the middle of her room, alone, with a baby blanket and a diaper bag lying in front of her. She seemed to be very frustrated at being left alone.

"Hey Karin."

"Oh, hi Ichigo." Karin turned her head and called back to him over her shoulder.

"What's that?" Ichigo pointed a finger to the blanket in her arms.

"It's a baby what does it look like." Karin responded as she transferred her attention back down to the bundle in her arms.

"Oh, okay. Whose is it?" Ichigo slowly asked as he stood in the door way.

"It's Toshiro's." Karin responded ignoring her brother's odd look of scowl and shock mixed in one all while his mouth hung open like a fish.

"Okay." That was the only word he could form as he closed Karin's door and slowly walked to his room.

Opening his door, Ichigo was met with a small stuffed lion that attacked his face complaining and crying about something. The soft paws were "mauling" his face but Ichigo didn't pay them any mind. As his zombie stare continued, the little lion's attacks slowed and finally stopped. The little lion sat on top of Ichigo's head and bent over to look the teen in the eye.

"Ichigo? Are you alright?" Kon asked as Ichigo's eyes became unglazed and he stared at the little lion on his head.

"Kon?"

"Yeah. Are you alr-" Ichigo grabbed the lion off his head and dug his hand into the little lion's mouth fishing the pill out of its mouth ignoring the struggles it was putting up.

"There you are." Ichigo stared at the pill in his hand before he swallowed it. Ichigo emerged from his body dressed as a soul reaper with Zangetsu strapped across his back.

"You watch the house." Ichigo ordered Kon in his body as he headed for the window.

"Where are you going?" Kon crawled to his knees as Ichigo was halfway out the window.

"I'm going to kill him." This was all Kon heard before Ichigo disappeared in the cool night air leaving the window open.

'_Toshiro I hope you have enjoyed your life because when I find you, your life is officially over.'_ Ichigo snarled under his breath as he disappeared in shunpo.

Somewhere in Karakura, Toshiro sneezed as he looked up at a pretty big hollow.

"Karin's going to be mad. I didn't mean to be gone for this long." Toshiro drew his zanpakuto as he prepared to defeat the hollow.

The hollow drew back its massive hand and swung it toward Toshiro who swiftly dodged it.

"Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyourinmaru." Toshiro yelled and swung his sword releasing the dragon and completely encasing the hollow in ice before it evaporated into thin air.

Toshiro sheathed his sword when Rangiku and Renji ran up to him.

"You two are late." Toshiro pointed out.

"We're sorry, Captain." Rangiku answered.

"We would have been here but we were held up." Renji explained.

"Who would hold up two lieutenants from coming to kill a hollow?" Captain Hitsugaya asked the pair as they looked between the two.

"Well, Captain it was Ichigo." Rangiku answered as said teen walked up to the trio.

"Hello, Ichigo." Captain Hitsugaya greeted the older teen who remained oddly silent.

"What's wrong with him?" Captain Hitsugaya asked the lieutenants as they each shrugged their shoulders.

"We just found him and he wanted to know where you were. So we brought him, Captain Hitsugaya." Renji's answer oddly enough made Ichigo twitch in response.

"You…" Ichigo started as Captain Hitsugaya watched him with cold teal eyes.

"Yes."

"Toshiro…"

"That's Captain Hitsugaya to you." His cold reply sent the teen off the deep end.

"I'm going to kill you!" Ichigo lunged toward Captain Hitsugaya before Renji or Rangiku could stop him.

……………………………………

Captain Hitsugaya stood outside the Kurosaki clinic and glared up at the second story as he returned from his trip out. He jumped effortlessly to a second story window and let himself into Karin's room. She was sitting on her bed with the "baby" in a baby carrier gently rocking it with one hand as she read a magazine.

Toshiro had to clear his throat to get Karin's attention.

"Hello, Toshiro." He walked into the room and stopped in the middle of the room where Karin met him.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD DO THIS!!" They both said the same thing at the same time.

"What do you mean what did I do?" Karin asked.

"Why did you tell your stupid brother?" Toshiro accused the dark haired girl.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Karin asked as she glared harder at Toshiro.

"Because, he just tried to take my head off," Toshiro exclaimed as Karin took a step back.

"Why would he do something like that?"

"Apparently he believed I had left you with a **real** baby and he wouldn't listen to me when I tried to explain." Toshiro ground the response through clenched teeth as Karin's glare darkened.

"Well, I didn't think he would actually jump to that conclusion. I thought he would ask first." Karin responded.

"Well, obviously he didn't." Toshiro ended the conversation as he glanced up on the bed at his homework assignment, aka the fake baby.

"Yeah, you left me here by myself for over three hours!" Karin yelled snapping his attention back to her.

"What were you doing during that time?" Karin harshly whispered as it was getting later into the night.

"I was caught up by Orihime when I stopped by her apartment, then a hollow followed by your brother." Toshiro answered for his disappearance.

"Oh, okay." Karin appeared to be satisfied with his answer as he stared at her.

"That's all you have to say?" Toshiro asked, he had imagined this argument would have lasted much longer.

"Yep, I asked a question and you answered. Is it supposed to be complicated?" Karin asked as she walked back to her bed and sat down. Toshiro remained standing in his soul reaper form in the center of the room.

"I guess it doesn't have to be." Toshiro half whispered to himself so Karin didn't hear what he said.

"Oh, by the way where's Ichigo?" Karin asked and the room seemed to get a few degrees colder.

"Your brother…" Toshiro thought back to the explosive interaction with the very active substitute soul reaper.

_****Flashback****_

"_Hello, Ichigo." Captain Hitsugaya greeted the older teen who remained oddly silent._

"_What's wrong with him?" Captain Hitsugaya asked the lieutenants as they each shrugged their shoulders._

"_We just found him and he wanted to know where you were. So we brought him, Captain Hitsugaya." Renji's answer oddly enough made Ichigo twitch in response._

"_You…" Ichigo started as Captain Hitsugaya watched him with cold teal eyes._

"_Yes."_

"_Toshiro…"_

"_That's Captain Hitsugaya to you." His cold reply sent the teen off the deep end._

"_I'm going to kill you!" Ichigo lunged toward Captain Hitsugaya before Renji or Rangiku could stop him._

"_WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?" Toshiro yelled as he easily dodged the enraged teen._

"_You left my sister with a baby!" Ichigo drew his zanpakuto and raised it in front of him all the while Rangiku and Renji gaped in shock at Ichigo's statement._

"_IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!!!!!" Toshiro tried to respond while dodging Ichigo just as he swung his sword to attempt to behead the white haired boy. Toshiro drew Hyourinmaru and blocked the next attack by Ichigo._

"_Captain!" Rangiku gasped in shock as the trio felt the temperature drop several degrees._

"_How did that happen?" Renji asked in equal shock. _

_Now the air was considerably colder and some icicles could be seen forming on the ground and the nearby buildings._

"_I ALREADY TOLD YOU IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!!!!!!!" Toshiro yelled as he pushed Ichigo back and attacked him. Ichigo responded by blocking with Zangetsu and he began to power up. Toshiro could see his spiritual pressure increase and his eyes were slowly being over taken with black shadows until his entire eye was covered in black except for the iris which was now a dark yellow._

"_Then please, Captain, what is it?" Rangiku begged as she stood beside Renji watching the two boys fight up in the air._

"_THE BABY'S FAKE!! IT'S FOR A CLASS I'M TAKING AT __**YOUR**__ SCHOOL, ICHIGO!!!" Toshiro yelled as he attacked Ichigo again._

_Ichigo either chose to ignore him or he wasn't listening since the substitute soul reaper released his powerful attack._

"_Getsuga Tenshou!" A wave of light blue energy barreled toward Toshiro but he easily dodged it with a shunpo reappearing above Ichigo staring down._

"_That's it." Toshiro glared down at Ichigo when he raised his sword in the air and increased his spiritual pressure._

"_Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyourinmaru!" The great ice dragon flew from the sword to swallow Ichigo freezing him in a large block of ice but still lived in the ice cube. The cube landed on the cement with a loud thwack remaining intact and a very cold Ichigo frozen in the moment._

_Toshiro appeared next to Renji and Rangiku as he glared between the two of them._

"_Both of you get him to Urahara's. Maybe after he's thawed he'll be more reasonable." Toshiro glared between the ice cube and the two lieutenants._

"_Captain Hitsugaya, is that really your homework assignment?" Renji tentatively asked the captain._

"_Yes, it is. Now get to Urahara's." Toshiro ordered as he disappeared in shunpo._

"_Yes, Captain Hitsugaya." Renji responded to thin air but poor Ranjiku stayed silent as the shock started to wear off._

_****End Flashback****_

"Your brother will be staying at Urahara's for the next few days." Toshiro answered as he was drawn from his thoughts.

"Oh, so what are you doing here then?" Karin asked as she looked up from her magazine again.

"I'll be here just in case a hollow attacks." Toshiro answered out loud but thought, _'and to keep out of sight for a few days.'_

"Okay, that's fine with me. But Toshiro," Toshiro looked to her with a "huh", "You could have just said you needed a place to hide."

"I am not hiding!" Toshiro snapped and Karin smiled and chuckled a bit.

"I told you its fine. But, if this kid wakes up in the middle of the night **you** are taking care of it." Karin quietly demanded as she glared at the Captain causing him to blink his eyes a few times.

"Agreed," Toshiro sighed as he set Hyourinmaru by the window and he lay down in the middle of the floor with his arms pillowing his head.

**OMAKE**

**Karin: You know what Toshiro, you did a really good job with that assignment.**

**Toshiro: Thank you, Karin, but I don't think I would have passed if I didn't have your help.**

**Karin: Oh nonsense, you're a natural. Since you're still a kid! *Pats him on the head* **

***Large tick mark appears on Toshiro's head and bats hand away***

**Toshiro: I AM NOT A KID!!**

**Karin: Yeah, I know you're not. *Toshiro sigh, Karin smile evilly* I just think you'd be a good dad. *Toshiro blushes, very hard.***

***Ichigo comes running up behind the pair***

**Ichigo: I'm GOING TO GET YOU!! YOU - *Hiyori kicks him into a building***

**Hiyori: WHAT DID I TELL YOU ICHIGO? YOU'RE NOT LEAVING UNTIL YOU CAN KEEP YOUR HOLLOW FORM!! *Ichigo twitches in rubble of wall.***

**Karin and Toshiro: 0-0 *Sweatdrop.***

**Karin: Okay, I think that's enough.**

**Toshiro: Definitely.**

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**A/N: This was an idea that I came up with when I was watching this commercial. **

**I've seen these fake babies that some students have to take care of for a grade and I thought it would be funny if Toshiro had to take care of one. What made it better (in my mind anyway) was for Karin to help him out.**

**I don't know if it came out on paper as funny as it was in my mind. **

**Anyway I hope you enjoy and I hope it gives you a good laugh. Please review and let me know what you think.**


End file.
